There Is No Housing Crisis | The Walrus
There Is No Housing Crisis | The Walrus
Supply alone will not solve a problem that large sections of the population don’t want to fix
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I hope people are reading the whole article because it makes some really good points but it really takes too long to make those points
It's excerpted from a book, apparently. That may explain its wordiness.
I asked ChatGPT to summarize it:
The article challenges the notion of a "housing crisis" in Canada and argues that the problem is not a crisis but rather a systemic issue of inequality and exploitation in the rental housing market. The author points out that the term "crisis" implies a temporary and unexpected situation, whereas the housing problem has been a recurring and longstanding issue.
The article highlights that the rental housing market operates to extract income from tenants, benefiting landlords and real estate investors, rather than ensuring secure housing for families. The author argues that the market is not a fair representation of supply and demand dynamics due to fixed land resources and the nature of housing as a long-term investment.
The "supply-side" argument, which claims that increasing housing supply will solve affordability issues, is criticized for serving the interests of developers and landlords. The author provides examples that challenge this argument, showing that even when vacancy rates increased, rents did not decrease significantly.
The article suggests that the term "housing crisis" perpetuates a narrative that the housing system was once functional and has now deviated due to unforeseen circumstances. Instead, the author contends that the housing system has always been skewed towards benefiting a privileged group, and the debate should focus on addressing the underlying power dynamics rather than seeking technical solutions.
In conclusion, the article emphasizes that the housing issue is not a crisis but a deeply rooted problem of inequality and exploitation. It calls for a shift in perspective to address the systemic issues and power dynamics within the housing market.
I gave up because the author is a windbag, tldr for me?
From the above poster
In conclusion, the article emphasizes that the housing issue is not a crisis but a deeply rooted problem of inequality and exploitation. It calls for a shift in perspective to address the systemic issues and power dynamics within the housing market.